A Memoir- the Testament

by Jean Meslier

  Nor were the priestly vestments without their significance. The linen tunic represented the earth, the hyacinth represented the air, pomegranates and the bells which were hung there represented the lightning and thunder, or rather the combination of the four elements. The belt represented the ocean, which envelops earth. The ephod represented the starry sky. The two onyx stones represented the Sun and Moon, the 12 stones of the 12 months of the year when the 12 signs of the zodiac. The plate of gold which bore the name of God, the tetragrammaton[463], represented God himself, who presides over all His creatures. The crown represented Heaven. The Pontiff therefore represented all things, to show, by his clothes, as well as his words, that all things would need the Savior and the mercy of God[464].

  God said to Moses[465] that he would not see His face, but rather His back parts, the symbol being that the face of God signifies the divinity, which cannot be seen by the eyes of the body, and that His back parts represent Jesus Christ’s human nature, which can be seen. So, He said that he would see his back parts, because the Jews, who were represented here by Moses, have seen the son of God in his humanity[466].

  The priesthood of the Old Testament was only a representation of the priesthood of the Evangelical law, like all the sacrifices of this Old Testament, according to this doctrine of our Christ-cultists, were only symbols of the sacrifice of the new law of Jesus Christ.

  The calf offered as a holocaust represented Jesus Christ, who is offered to his Father as a sacrifice of holocaust on the cross. This calf was taken from the herd to show that Jesus Christ would descend from the patriarchs of old, this is why he was represented by the calf from the herd; he was also represented by the lamb, because of his innocence and gentleness; he was equally represented by the ram, because of its supreme power, he was also represented by the goat[467], because it bore the likeness of sin in its flesh, he was also represented by the turtledove and the dove, because of his divinity and his humanity.

  The ancient sacrifices took place outside of the Tabernacle, to prefigure that Jesus Christ would suffer outside the city of Jerusalem extra portam passus est, as St. Paul said. The victims were skinned to symbolize that Jesus Christ would be stripped of his clothing, the blood of the victims that was poured around the altar, was the blood of Jesus Christ, which would be spread around the cross, which was his altar. The victims were cut into pieces, to show that the flesh of Jesus Christ would be torn and, as it were, diced by the lashes. The flesh of the victims was burned, to represent the fact that Jesus Christ would be burning within, with the fire of charity[468].

  The two goats mentioned in Leviticus, chapter 16, represent the two natures of Jesus Christ. The one that was killed, represented the human nature of Jesus Christ, which was sacrificed on the cross, and the one that was allowed to go into the desert represented the divine nature, which is impassible. Theod., Ciril., and others say that the scapegoat[469], which was burdened with the people’s sins, and driven into the desert with curses and imprecations, represented Jesus Christ, who voluntarily bore for all the sins of men, who became the reject of the Jews and endured a thousand curses from them[470]. Still others say that one of these two goats represented Jesus Christ and the other represented Barabbas[471].

  The rule against planting different grains in the same land, or wearing clothes of different textures[472], represented that one should have opposing morals in one’s heart, but that they must be uniform to avoid duplicity.

  The Jewish sabbath represented the repose of the soul, which Jesus Christ was to procure for the faithful, by delivering them from the superfluous cares and concerns of the age. Their Jubilee[473] represented the time of the general remission, at the end of time, when all the faithful would come into possession of Paradise, which is truly their inheritance. The sound of the trumpets in the time of jubilee represented the sound of the trumpets of the angels, who will summon all the dead at the general resurrection and judgment. Cyril, and others.

  The order[474] that the Israelites kept in their camp, while marching through the desert, represented the Church Militant and the different orders within the Church, which, in this aspect, is terrible, they say, like an army ready for battle, terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata. The ark, which was among the squadrons of the camp of the Israelites, represented Jesus Christ, who is the true Ark of the Covenant, and who unites men with God, who is in the midst of his Church. The camp of the Israelites was composed of the twelve tribes of Israel, representing the way the Christian Church would initially consist of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. The main ensigns of the squadrons of the Israelites had for their figures, one, that is, Judah, a lion; another, that is, Ephraim, had the face of an ox; the fourth, finally, was Dan, with an eagle’s face, holding a serpent in its claws, to represent the four evangelists, be indicated by these faces; Matthew by a man’s face, Mark by a lion, Luke by an ox, and John by an eagle[475].

  The Nazarenes[476], a word which means being separate, dedicated, and holy, represented Jesus Christ, who was separated from the age, dedicated to God, and filled with holiness[477]. The blessings that the priests gave to the people, repeating the name of the Lord three times, represented the mystery of the trinity of divine persons[478].

  The murmuring of Miriam and Aaron against Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman, was completely figurative. Moses, who married an Ethiopian woman, represented Jesus Christ, who married the Church of the Gentiles, represented by the Ethiopian. Mary and Aaron, who represented the synagogue and the priesthood of the law, murmured about this, as a prefiguration of the way the Synagogue[479] would murmur when their Priesthood and law were, as it were, transferred to the Gentiles, who get the benefit thereof. God approves of this marriage of Moses’s, which represents God’s positive reception of the Church of the Gentiles. Miriam, as punishment for her murmuring, becomes leprous, just as the Synagogue, represented by Miriam, also becomes leprosy and deformed, due to its blindness and its sins. Miriam, having become leprous, is separated off for a time, to symbolize that the Synagogue would be rejected by God for a time, finally, she returns after seven days of exile, prefiguring the way the Synagogue, after the seven ages of the world, that is, at the end of time, will reunite with the Church[480].

  The rod of Aaron[481], which sprouted buds and flowers, represented the Virgin Mary, who, by the sole power of the Holy Ghost, produced and gave birth to the divine flower, i.e., Jesus Christ. Cyril and others say that the rod of Aaron represented the cross of Jesus Christ. The buds and flowers I produced represented the gentiles, who would be converted by the preaching of the cross of the Savior[482]. Others say that the rod of Aaron represented the power of Jesus Christ, the buds his spiritual beauty, proceeding from grace, and the flowers the sweetness of his spirit.

  The red cow, spoken in chapter 19 of Numbers, was figurative: the cow represented the humanity of Jesus Christ, its red color represented his passion, its full and complete age represented the whole and perfect manhood of Jesus Christ; it was spotless, to designate his innocence from all sins, it had not carried a yoke, to designate the freedom of the children of God, and especially of Jesus Christ. It was killed or slain by Priest Eleazar, to show that Jesus Christ would suffer from the priests of the law, it was killed outside the camp to show that J. C. would suffer death outside Jerusalem. The flame that burned the cow and rose upward represented, according to these same doctors, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The cedar wood, which burned, represented the cross of Jesus Christ. The hyssop represented the virtue of baptism, and the scarlet represented the blood of Jesus Christ[483]. Truly, can anything more beautiful be said?

  The cow[484] which was to be sacrificed when a human corpse was found, and whose murderer was unknown, also represented the flesh or the humanity of Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed for the salvation of men, who were dead in sin. This cow was not to have borne the yoke, to show that Jesus Christ was sinless, it was killed due to a discovered homicide, representing that Jesus Christ would be
put to death for those killed by sin. This cow was killed in a rugged valley, to represent Calvary, or the Jewish nation, which was harsh, faithless, and unpleasant. As for the bull, which is mentioned in chapter 33 of Deuteronomy, it represented Jesus Christ, and its horns represent the beams of the cross[485].

  “You will not bind the mouth of the ox[486] which is treading the grain”, is said figuratively, in reference to the preachers of the Gospel, who, in preaching the Gospel and converting the infidels, raise and multiply the race of Jesus Christ, since converts call themselves Christians, using the name of Christ, but if they refuse to preach and go to make converts like the brother, they, like him, are rejected and despised by the Church[487]. What is represented by the brother[488], who married the wife of his brother, to raise up seed to him.

  The Children of Israel resisted Goliath and the Philistines, their enemies for 40 days. Why 40 days? This was a prefiguration, says St. Augustine, of the four times and the four parts of the earth, meaning the present life, in which Christians, represented by the Israelites, are compelled to fight against the Devil and his angels, represented by Goliath and his army. David, who comes with his staff to fight against Goliath, represented Jesus Christ, who would fight against the spiritual Goliath, i.e., against the Devil, with the wood of his cross. Goliath was hit in the forehead with a stone, which David cast at him. Why was he so hit on the forehead? This was, says the same St. Aug., because he had not made the sign of the cross on his forehead. For, as he says, the staff of David represented the cross, so also, he says, the stone that hit Goliath represented the Lord Jesus Christ[489].

  The magnificent Temple which Solomon built to God, was, says the same St. Aug., only a prefiguration of the one that Jesus Christ himself would build, and which would be made, he said, not of wood or stone, like Solomon’s, but would be made of living men, as, he said, we now have the joy of witnessing[490]. Who could help but laugh at all this ineptitude?

  Finally, the whole ancient law was, according to this doctrine of our Christ-cultists, only a prefiguration of their new law; for, as they say, both the deeds and the words, were figurative and prophetic. The promised land, which was said to be flowing with milk and honey, to indicate the abundance of its favors, was only, they say, a representation of the blessed life, which they expect in Heaven, and which, as they say, is their only true homeland. All the worldly goods that God promised the Jews only symbolized spiritual favor or eternal rewards in Heaven, and the same goes for the threats He issued of temporal punishments in this life: these were only a prefiguration of the eternal punishment of Hell. The various captivities into which the Jews were taken were only representations of the captivity of the devil and sin, which affected all of humanity. The promised deliverance from captivity was only a representation of spiritual liberation from captivity to the Devil and sin. The mighty Redeemer, who was promised as a powerful ruler and Lord, who would be dominant on Earth, was, as they say, a representation of Jesus Christ, whose spiritual power has liberated all from this captivity to the Demon and sin, to which they had been enslaved. The earthly Jerusalem, which was to glorious and victorious forever, was, as they say, only a representation of the heavenly Jerusalem, where they claim that all kinds of goods are found in abundance, such that anything said in the prophets, or in the law about this earthly Jerusalem, or the mighty Redeemer who was promised, or even the sacrifices and ceremonies that were made in those days, should only be understood figuratively and allegorically, by reference to what is now done in the Christian religion, and should be understood with reference to the heavenly Jerusalem, of the spiritual power of Jesus Christ, and of the spiritual redemption of men, effectuated by the same supposedly infinite merits of his death and passion; and even the whole Jewish people, according to the flesh, was not, as they say, anything be a symbol of the Christians, who are, they say, the true Israelites, or the Israel of God, as their great St. Paul said, such that everything that is said literally about this people and all the great and magnificent promises which God gave to it, should only be understood spiritually and allegorically as referring to Christians and what occurs in their religion, so that, according to this doctrine of our Christ-cultists, all the most beautiful, greatest, most magnificent, and favorable things pronounced about the advent of such a powerful Redeemer and his supposed future possession and enjoyment of so many and such great and inestimable blessings, that God ever promised to His people Israel, which was his chosen and beloved people, would only end up being imaginary blessings, an imaginary Redemption, and a base and ridiculous fanaticism, which would be found and would even now be found in Christianity, on the occasion of which there would certainly be good reasons to apply here what is said of this famous and wonderful, supposed birth of a mountain, which would end only in the production of a meager mouse. Parturiunt montes nascitur ridiculus mus.

  Which is clearly abusing the terms of this law, and these promises and prophecies, it’s twisting their meaning and true signification, such that even if one supposed that they were truly from God, they would be completely destroyed and negated by these sorts of allegorical and mystical interpretations of theirs, which are entirely vain and frivolous, especially since they are basically nothing but vain and ridiculous fictions of the human mind, which delights in vanity and falsehood.

  Thus, they do not deserve the least bit of attention, and if I have shared so many examples of them here, it's only because they’re truly worthy of manifestly showing the vanity of these promises and prophecies, which are no less vain and frivolous than the spiritual and allegorical interpretations that our Christ-cultists affect to give them.

  I would find it very surprising that so many great and famous figures have been content to tell us and to proffer so much nonsense on such vain matters, if I didn’t know, moreover, that they might have been led there by false views, and by certain vain considerations. Even the greatest of men are sometimes apt for a thousand foibles, like anyone else. There are a thousand folds and counter-folds in the hearts and intentions of men, which would be very hard to develop. People don’t always see the underlying reasons that lead them to speak, or to what purposes they act. As for me, I would find it hard to believe, as Montaigne says, that these great men I’ve mentioned were speaking seriously, when uttering such heaps of nonsense on these subjects: Unless, perhaps, they too became persuaded by what they got others to believe; in this way, as Montaigne also puts it, those children who are frightened by their playmates’ faces, which they themselves have smeared with mud, or like those foolish idolaters, who religiously revere hunks of wood or stone, which they have shaped. And our Christ-cultists too, who presently worship meager images of dough, after their priests have mysteriously and secretly pronounced only four words on these tiny dough-images. Could anything be more stupid, vain, or absurd?

  Therefore, I would rather believe that these great men have meant, on this point, to toy with our common ignorance and stupidity, knowing full well that nothing is easier than to delude the ignorant; but if one insists that they truly spoke their minds in this, as they thought, then I can’t help but think that they were also ignoramuses and fools. Forgive me such language, for I’m writing my thoughts candidly, although I’ve often reflected on the matter, and always follow, as well as I can, the clearest light of reason, to ensure that I’m not mistaken myself: For natural reason is the only path that I’ve always followed in my thoughts, as the one that has always seemed to be the one everyone should obviously follow to avoid walking blindly, as happens when walking down paths and in unknown lands; and the further I have traveled, the more confirmation I’ve found in my thoughts.

  Since, then, these promises and prophecies, taken in the proper and natural meaning of the words, have not been fulfilled at all; and since, as even our Christ-worshipers allow, they can only have been fulfilled in a spiritual, allegorical and mystical sense, which is, essentially, an alien, ridiculous, and imaginary sense; it clearly follows that these promises and prophecies ar
e false, since they can’t be true or truthful in a sense which is not intrinsic to them, and which is only imaginary in substance. And if these promises or prophecies turn out to be false in a literal sense, which is natural and proper to them, and which is their only proper and true sense, then it is clear and evident that they don't come from God at all, and that they cannot, in any way, serve as proofs or sure testimonies of the truthfulness of any Religion, any more than the so-called miracles, of which I have already spoken; and thus, since all these supposed reasons for believing, on which our Christ-worshipers claim to base the certainty of the truth of their religion have neither weight nor any authority to prove what they claim to prove, it clearly follows that their Religion is false, and that everything they say for it, as coming from and based on the authority of God, is, as I’ve said, sheer error, illusion, lies, and imposture, and thus concludes my fourth conclusive proof thereof.

  30. FIFTH PROOF: THE ERRORS OF ITS DOCTRINE AND ITS MORALITY.

  Let us pass on to the fifth proof, which I will take from the falsehood of their doctrine. There is no religion which does not claim to teach the purest, the holiest and the most truthful doctrine. Nevertheless, there is not one which isn’t completely mixed up, and, as it were, pastured on errors, illusions, lies, and imposture: this is what one can, consequently, really say about the Christian, Apostolic, and Roman religion, as well as all other religions: from which I get this argument: A religion that receives, approves, and even authorizes errors in its doctrine and in its morality cannot be a true religion, and cannot truly be of divine institution. Now, the Christian religion, especially the Roman sect, receives, approves, and authorizes errors in its doctrine and in its morality, which is easy to show: 1) it receives, approves and authorizes errors in its doctrine, since it teaches and requires belief, not only in things that are false, but also things that are ridiculous and absurd, and which are completely contrary to what one should think of goodness, wisdom, justice, and mercy of a God who is supposed to be infinitely perfect. In second place it accepts, approves, and authorizes so many errors in its morality. 2) Because it approves and authorizes maxims which tend to destroy justice and natural equity. 3) Because it critiques and condemns as vicious the most legitimate inclinations of nature, and allows, favors, and authorizes abuses which are in clear opposition to right reason, and which are completely opposed to justice and good human government. This is easy to show, by the mere exposition of these errors and abuses: for, to express them simply and candidly, just as they are, along with all their circumstances and dependencies, is all that is required.